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At some point during the first hour we’re in the room, Jace wakes up and my heart is ready to jump out of my chest and flop around on the floor.

He blinks and notices me in the next instant. “What are you doing here?” His jaw clenches, his shoulders stiff as a flood of emotions saturate his eyes. “I thought I told you to never come back.” His voice scrapes over my skin, a familiar rasp, but I can tell he was out of it most of the day and had a tube down his throat. He swallows hard and watches me, waiting for my words.

“Josie called me,” I rush to say, trying to defend my presence and keeping my distance near the door. “I uh, thought I’d come see how you were and if I could help.”

“She knows medical jargon,” Josie points out, scowling at Griff who has Jace’s chart in his hands, swiping through notes on the iPad.

“She’s a nurse. Not a surgeon,” Griff points out conversationally, and completely unaware how rude he sounds. I know, you think he’s a jerk, but honestly, I don’t think he realizes what he’s saying before he says it. It’s like the words come out naturally, as if the filter between what’s right and wrong isn’t there.

Jace slides his eyes to Griff. Confusion flashes but it’s quickly replaced by annoyance. “Who the fuck are you?” My heart lurches at Jace’s words lined with emotion and exhaustion.

Griff lifts his cold expression from the iPad to Jace. “I’m Griff. Abigale’s fiancé.” I can see the anger rising in Jace’s face. Hell, even his jaw clenches and he sucks in a breath. He’s the only one who ever called me Abigale. “You must be Abigale’s friend, Jace. Heard a lot about you.”

Oh God. I know where this is going. Do you? You probably don’t because you know my name’s Abigale… but do you know the only person who calls me that is Jace?

Well, you do now and you’re about to see what happens.

“Friend?” Jace snorts and his bloodshot eyes make a leisurely pass over my body, resting on my lips, before darting back to my eyes. “Funny, I haven’t heard anything about you.”

Let’s face it, I knew this was going to happen. Despite the possessive tone and forced amusement in his eyes, I want to rush to his side, grab his face in my hands and beg him to see this for what it is, but I have no idea what this is, or what I’d say. That I love him and I’m sorry for leaving? That I don’t want to marry Griff. That I’m begging for him to fight harder for me.

Griff, completely oblivious to the constant pull inside my chest for the one in the bed, stares at the iPad. I glance at it. He’s looking over the X-rays of Jace’s left arm. As well as dislocating his shoulder in the process of being thrown by the PTO, he’s broken both his radial and ulnar bones. I read further down in the chart. Loss of midsegment of humerus, 6 cm segment loss of brachial vein, crushed brachial artery, segment loss of median and radial nerves. His hand was cold to the touch with absent pulsations. Which means he was dangerously close to losing his arm. Jesus. The brachial artery and vein reconstruction were successful with interposition vein grafts, along with nails in both bones in his forearm. Though he had a good reconstructive and plastic surgeon work on him, he’s going to have many surgeries to fix the damage and more than likely be out of work for months.

Griff shakes his head and looks up at Jace. “How’d you manage this?”

Jace’s eyes shift to Griff, who moves closer to me in what I assume is a protective stance while he marks his claim over me. And then Jace’s eyes drop to the ring on my finger before regarding Griff again.

Jace stays still in the bed, but his temper strikes with his words, rough and annoyed. “Working.” His demeanor, well, it displays a man who on the outside is calm, relaxed, despite his condition, but on the inside, I know by the fire in his eyes. It’s taking everything inside him not to jump out of bed and inform Griff nobody calls me Abigale but him.

Not even my own father.

Jace sighs and looks to Josie. “Where are the girls? Were they hurt?”

“They’re with Kacy,” Josie assures him, handing him water. “They’re fine.”

He nods, refuses the water, but I can see the confusion on his face, trying to make sense of the last twenty-four hours. He blinks rapidly, as if his views are distorted. And they probably are given he’s just had surgery and is on a lot of pain medication.

For a few minutes, he doesn’t say a word. He stares at me though and I can’t tell if there’s relief there, or just hatred. Maybe both.

My body itches to move closer, but I hold still, afraid if I do move closer it’s going to be obvious.

Griff sets the iPad down on the table next to him and sighs. “I think you’re gonna live.”

Jace’s eyes shift from mine to Griff in annoyance. He takes in a ragged breath but annoyance flashes in his eyes, as if he’s trying hard to keep it controlled. “What the fuck are you doing in my room?”

I clear my throat and Jace’s eyes dart to mine for the first time. “Josie called and asked me to come, and Griff, well, he has more experience than I do, so he came with me.”

Jace doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t need to. His livid expression is enough.

CHAPTER21

First impressions

JACE

I don’t like him. Not one bit.

I watchAbbi outside the room talking to my mom, angry she’s here, and relieved in some ways. I fight sleep and the need to tell everyone to get the fuck out, especially the one trying to make conversation with me.